US6263590B1 - Method and apparatus for controlling byproduct induced defect density - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for controlling byproduct induced defect density Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US6263590B1 US6263590B1 US09/351,982 US35198299A US6263590B1 US 6263590 B1 US6263590 B1 US 6263590B1 US 35198299 A US35198299 A US 35198299A US 6263590 B1 US6263590 B1 US 6263590B1
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- vessel
- temperature
- byproduct
- processing tool
- maintaining
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
- C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
- C23C16/4401—Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
- C23C16/4408—Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
- C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
- C23C16/4401—Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling byproduct induced defect density in semiconductor wafers.
- wafers such as silicon wafers
- the processing steps include depositing or forming layers, patterning the layers, and removing portions of the layers to define features on the wafer.
- One such process step is the formation of a layer by chemical vapor deposition, where reactive gases are introduced into a vessel containing the semiconductor wafers. The reactive gases facilitate a chemical reaction that causes a layer to form on the wafers.
- An exemplary processing tool susceptible to byproduct production is a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) system used to deposit a silicon nitride Si 3 N 4 layer.
- Silicon nitride layers are commonly used as passivation, masking, or insulating layers.
- dichlorosilane SiH 2 Cl 2
- ammonia NH 4
- An ammonium chloride (NH 4 Cl) byproduct forms and builds up on the internal surfaces of the processing chamber.
- the ammonium chloride deposits as particle defects within the silicon nitride layers. When the defect count reaches a predetermined level, the LPCVD tool is disassembled and cleaned.
- the disassembly, cleaning, and re-assembly process takes at least 24 hours.
- the maintenance procedure is generally conducted after between 20 and 30 processing runs. The significant down time required to complete the cleaning procedure affects the production efficiency of the tool and the overall facility.
- the present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
- a purge gas is introduced into a vessel of the processing tool.
- the vessel is heated to a temperature above a vaporization temperature of the byproduct.
- the temperature is maintained for a predetermined period of time.
- the vessel is purged to remove at least a portion of the byproduct.
- FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a processing tool in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for controlling byproduct induced defect density in the processing tool of FIG. 1 .
- the processing tool 100 is a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) tool useful for depositing a silicon nitride layer (Si 3 N 4 ) on a semiconductor wafer.
- LPCVD low pressure chemical vapor deposition
- the invention is described as it may be implemented in a LPCVD tool, it is contemplated that the concepts described herein may be applied to various other processing tools, related or not related to semiconductor fabrication, wherein the processing of a given article results in the formation of a byproduct.
- the drawing of the processing tool 100 in FIG. 1 is provided for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to represent a physical drawing of an actual processing tool.
- the processing tool 100 includes a vessel 105 .
- Process gas lines 110 , 115 are coupled to the vessel 105 to allow introduction of process gases.
- a purge line 120 is coupled to the vessel 105 to allow introduction of a purge gas for removing remaining process gases after a production run has been completed.
- the process gases supplied through the process gas lines 110 , 115 are dichlorosilane (SiH 2 Cl 2 ) and ammonia (NH 4 ), which are commonly used to deposit silicon nitride layers.
- a pressure sensor 125 such as a Baratron® capacitance manometer, sold by MKS Instruments, Inc., is coupled to the vessel 105 for monitoring the pressure within the vessel 105 .
- An exhaust line 130 is coupled to the vessel 105 to receive exiting process or purge gases.
- a relief valve 135 is coupled to the exhaust line 130 to provide overpressure protection.
- the exhaust gases pass through a trap 140 where the process gases are removed by condensation to prevent them from entering the pump 145 . Flow through the trap is governed by a valve 147 .
- a bypass valve 150 is provided to allow slow, non-turbulent flow during initial pump down of the vessel 105 .
- a boat 155 housing wafers 160 is inserted into the vessel 105 for processing.
- a bottom plate 165 on the boat 155 interfaces with a flange 170 on the vessel 105 to provide a sealing surface.
- a controller 175 is provided to control the process parameters of the processing tool 100 in accordance with a predetermined recipe.
- ammonia and dichlorosilane are introduced into the vessel 105 .
- the normal operating temperatures maintained during the deposition process are between about 700° C. and 800° C.
- An ammonium chloride byproduct forms during the reaction of the ammonia with the dichlorosilane.
- the byproduct builds up on the internal surfaces of the vessel 105 , particularly, near gas manifold connections 180 .
- the byproduct deposits as particle defects within the silicon nitride layers.
- FIG. 2 a flow diagram of a method for controlling byproduct induced defect density in the processing tool 100 is provided.
- the controller 175 is programmed with a byproduct reduction recipe.
- the byproduct concentrations are lowered by heating the vessel to a temperature above the vaporization temperature of the byproduct and purging the vessel 105 to remove the vaporized byproduct. This reduces the amount of byproduct in the vessel 105 , thus lowering the byproduct induced defects in subsequent processing runs.
- the processing tool 100 may be operated for increased numbers of runs between tool tear-down and cleaning. The method is described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2 .
- a boat 155 is inserted into the vessel 105 in block 200 .
- the boat 155 is provided to seal the vessel 105 .
- the boat 155 i.e., or other article carrier
- the temperature of the vessel 105 is maintained at a temperature that exceeds the byproduct vaporization temperature in block 205 .
- the vessel 105 is maintained at a temperature in the range of about 800° C. to 900° C.
- the vessel 105 is pumped down to establish an initial vacuum condition.
- the vessel 105 is pumped down to a pressure of about between 2 and 6 mtorr (i.e., minimum pressure achievable by the pump 145 ) using a purge gas of nitrogen supplied through the purge line 120 . It is assumed that all process gases had been previously purged at the end of the most recent processing run.
- about four liters of purge gas is introduced in block 215 to raise the pressure in the vessel 105 (e.g., to about 700 to 800 mtorr).
- the temperature is maintained in the vessel 105 for a predetermined time interval (e.g., 15 minutes) to vaporize the byproduct material.
- the evacuate, purge, and maintain cycles of blocks 210 , 215 , and 220 are repeated as necessary in block 225 to increase the amount of byproduct removed.
- the process is repeated three times, and is terminated in block 230 .
- the processing tool is then ready for subsequent production runs.
- the byproduct reduction described in reference to FIG. 2 is conducted after about every five processing runs.
- Using the byproduct reduction technique increases the number of runs achievable between tear-downs of the processing tool 100 .
- the processing tool 100 may be operated for between about 40 and 60 processing runs between tear-downs.
- the byproduct reduction process may be repeated at any desired interval to further increase the number of achievable processing runs.
- the resulting increase in processing runs increases the availability of the processing tool 100 , and in cases where the processing tool 100 is a limiting component in the production line, the increased operating time may also increase the production efficiency of the fabrication facility.
Abstract
Description
Claims (19)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US09/351,982 US6263590B1 (en) | 1999-07-12 | 1999-07-12 | Method and apparatus for controlling byproduct induced defect density |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US09/351,982 US6263590B1 (en) | 1999-07-12 | 1999-07-12 | Method and apparatus for controlling byproduct induced defect density |
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US6263590B1 true US6263590B1 (en) | 2001-07-24 |
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US09/351,982 Expired - Lifetime US6263590B1 (en) | 1999-07-12 | 1999-07-12 | Method and apparatus for controlling byproduct induced defect density |
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Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100277924A1 (en) * | 2007-04-30 | 2010-11-04 | Musco Corporation | Method and apparatus to improve efficiency of lighting |
US7980003B2 (en) * | 2006-01-25 | 2011-07-19 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Heat processing apparatus and heat processing method |
US20140261702A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Macronix International Co., Ltd. | Apparatus and method for collecting powder generated during film deposition process |
US11148247B2 (en) * | 2016-08-12 | 2021-10-19 | Samsung Display Co., Ltd. | Substrate polishing system and substrate polishing method |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5621982A (en) * | 1992-07-29 | 1997-04-22 | Shinko Electric Co., Ltd. | Electronic substrate processing system using portable closed containers and its equipments |
US6107198A (en) * | 1998-03-26 | 2000-08-22 | Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation | Ammonium chloride vaporizer cold trap |
US6139642A (en) * | 1997-03-21 | 2000-10-31 | Kokusai Electric Co., Ltd. | Substrate processing apparatus and method |
US6165272A (en) * | 1998-09-18 | 2000-12-26 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd | Closed-loop controlled apparatus for preventing chamber contamination |
-
1999
- 1999-07-12 US US09/351,982 patent/US6263590B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5621982A (en) * | 1992-07-29 | 1997-04-22 | Shinko Electric Co., Ltd. | Electronic substrate processing system using portable closed containers and its equipments |
US6139642A (en) * | 1997-03-21 | 2000-10-31 | Kokusai Electric Co., Ltd. | Substrate processing apparatus and method |
US6107198A (en) * | 1998-03-26 | 2000-08-22 | Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation | Ammonium chloride vaporizer cold trap |
US6165272A (en) * | 1998-09-18 | 2000-12-26 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd | Closed-loop controlled apparatus for preventing chamber contamination |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7980003B2 (en) * | 2006-01-25 | 2011-07-19 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Heat processing apparatus and heat processing method |
US8782918B2 (en) | 2006-01-25 | 2014-07-22 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Heat processing apparatus and heat processing method |
US20100277924A1 (en) * | 2007-04-30 | 2010-11-04 | Musco Corporation | Method and apparatus to improve efficiency of lighting |
US8177396B2 (en) | 2007-04-30 | 2012-05-15 | Musco Corporation | Method and apparatus to improve efficiency of lighting |
US20140261702A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Macronix International Co., Ltd. | Apparatus and method for collecting powder generated during film deposition process |
US8999028B2 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2015-04-07 | Macronix International Co., Ltd. | Apparatus and method for collecting powder generated during film deposition process |
US11148247B2 (en) * | 2016-08-12 | 2021-10-19 | Samsung Display Co., Ltd. | Substrate polishing system and substrate polishing method |
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